Mortimers Fol. 4 3. Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester murdred in prisoÌ„ Fol. 8. 4. Thomas Moâ—bray Duke of Northfolk banished and died in exile Fol. 12. 5. King Richard the secoÌ„d deposed miserably murdred Fol. 16 6. Owen Glendour Prince of Wales was chased to y mouÌ„taynes where he miserably died for lacke of foode Fol. 19 7. Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland taken in battaile and put to death Fol. 25. 8. Richarde Plantagenet Earle of Cambridge put to death at Southampton Fol. 28 9. Thomas Montague Earle of Salisburye chaunceablye slaine at Orliaunce with a peece of ordinaunce Fol. 30 10. Iames the first King of Scotts â—ruelly murdred by hys owne subiects Fol. 36. 11. Humphrey Plantagenet Duke of Glocester Protector of England by practyse of Enemies was broughte to confusion Fol. 40. 12. Lord William Delapole Duke of Suffolke worthelye banished and beheaded Fol. 56 13. Iackâ— Caâ—e worthely punished for rebellion Fol. 60. 14. Edmonde Duke of Somerset slaine in the firste battayle at S. Albanes Fol. 65. 15. Richard Plantagenet D. Of Yorke slaine through his ouer rashe boldnesse and hys youngest sonne the Earle of Rutland being a child cruelly murdred Fol. 77. 16. The Lord Clifford for his abhominable cruelly came to a sodaine death Fol. 80 17. The infamous end of the Lorde Tiptofte Earle of Worcester Fol. 82. 18. Richard Neuil Earle of Warwicke his brother Iohn Marquise Montacute slaine at Barnet field Fol. 86. 19. The vertuous kinge Henry the sixt cruelly murdred in the Tower of London Fol. 89. 20. George Plantagenet Duke of Clarence Brother to K. Edware the fourth cruelly drowned in a Vessell of Malâ—sye Fol. 93. 21. A lamentacion vpon the death of King Edvvarde the 4. Fol. 100. 22. Sir Anthony Woduile Lord Riuers with his Nephewe Lord Richarde Graye and others causles imprisoned and cruelly beheaded at Pomfret Fol. 102 23. The Lord Hastings betrayed by his counsailour Caâ—esâ—y and murdred in the tower of London Fol. 114. 24. Mayster Sackuils Induction Fol. 129. The Tragedy of H. duke Buckingham Fol. 138. 25. Collingbourne cruelly executed for making a fosish rime Fol. 153. 26. King Bichard the third slaine at Bosworth Fol. 159. 27 The fall of the blacke Smith and fatall end of the Lorde Awdeley Fol. 166. 28. The complaint of Shores wife one of the Concubins of King Edward the fourth Fol. 176. ⧠A BRIEFE MEMOriall of sundry vnfortunate Englishmen VVILLIAM BALDVVIN to the Reader WHEN the Printer had purposed with himself to Print Lidgates translation of Bochas of the fal of Princes hauinge made priuy thereto many both honourable and Worshippefull hee was couÌ„sayled by dyuers of them to procure a continuance of the Storye from whereas Bochas left vnto this preseÌ„t time chiefly of such as Fortune had abused here in this Island which might bee as a Myrrour for men of all estates and degrees aswell Nobles as other to behold the slippery deceiptes of the wauering Lady the due reward of all kinde of vices Which aduice liked him so well that he required mee to take paynes therein but because it was a matter passing my wit skill and more thancklesse than gaynefull to enterprise I refused vtterly alone to vndertake it without the helpe of sutch as in wit were apt in learninge allowed and in iudgemente and estimation able to wield and discharge the weight of sutch a burden thinkinge so to shift my handes But hee earnest and diligent in hys affayres procure me an Athlas to laye the burden vppon my shoulders which I would not haue undertaken but that shortly after diuers learned men whose many giftes nede few prayses consented to take vpon them part of the trauaile And when certayne of them to the numof seuen were through a generall assent at an appoyncted time and place gathered together to deuise thereuppon I resorted vnto them bringinge with mee the booke of Bochas translated by Dan Lidgate for the better obseruation of his order which although wee did not mislyke yet would it not conueniently serue seing that both Bochas Lidgate were dead neither were there any alyue that had medled with like argumeÌ„t to whom the vnfortunate might make their moane To make therfore a state meete for the matter they al agreed that I shoulde vsurpe Bochas rome and the wretched Princes complaine vnto me and toke vpon themselues euery man for his part to be sundry personages and in their behalfes to bewaile vnto me their sundry chaunces heauy destenies and wofull misfortunes This done wee opened sutch Bookes of Chronicles as wee had there present and Maister Ferrers after hee had founde where Bochas left which was about the ende of Kinge Edward the thirdes raigne to begin the matter sayd thus I maruayle ê™ hee what Bochas meaneth to forget among his myserable Princes such as were of our Nation whose number is as great as theyr Aduentures wonderfull For to let passe all both Britaynes Danes and Saxons and to come to the last Conquest what a sort are they and some also in the time of Bochas himselfe or not much before As for example William Rufus the second kinge of Englande after the CoÌ„quest eyther by malice or misaduenture slayne hunting in the new forest by Walter Tirrell with the shot of an arrow Robert Duke of Normandy eldest sonne to William Conquerour depriued of his inheritaunce of England by Henry his youngest brother hauing both his eyes put out and after myserably imprisoned in Cardiffe Castel whereas hee died The most Lamentable case of William Rychard and Mary children of the sayde Henry the first called Beauclerke drowned vpon y Sea by the negligence of drunken Mariners and Kynge Rychard the fyrst slaine with a quarel in his chiefe prosperity The most vnnaturall murther of Artur Duke of Britayne right Heyre of Englande by king Ihon his vncle with the death of Isabell his Sister by Famyne The myserable ende of the sayd king Ihon their vncle by Surfet or as some write poysoned by a Monke of the Abbey of Swinsted in Lyncolneshrye Are not their Histories ruful and of rare Example But as it should appeare Bochas being an Italian minded most the Romayne and Italike Story or els perhaps hee wanted the knowledge of ours It were therefore a goodly and notable matter to search and discourse our whole story from the first beginninge of the inhabiting of the Isle But seeinge the Printers mynde is to haue vs supply where Lidgate left we wilâ— leaue that great labour to other that may intende it and as one being bold fyrst to breake the Ise I will begin at y reigne of Rychard the secoÌ„d a time as troublesome to the people as vnlucky to y Prince And for asmutch frende Baldwin as it shall be your charge to penne orderly the whole processe I will so far as my memory and iudgement serueth somewhat further you in the truth of the story And therefore omittinge the ruffle made by Iacke Straw his Lewd meiney with the
cast no kinde of doubt How sayest thou Henry Hotspur do I ly For thou right manly gauest the Kinge a Fielde And there wast slayne because thou wouldst not flye Syr Thomas Percy thine Vncle forst to yeelde Did cast his head a wonder seene but seelde From Shrewsbury towne to the tope of London Bridge Lo thus fond hope did both their liues Abridge VVhan Kinge Henry this Victory had wonne Destroyed the Percies put their power to slight Hee did appoinct Prince Henry his eldest Sonne VVith all his power to meete mee if hee might But I discomfit through my Partners fight Had not the heart to meete him face to face But fled away and hee pursued the Chase Now Baldwin marke for I calde Prince of Wales And made beleeue I should bee hee in deede VVas made to fly amonge the Hilles and Dales VVhere all my men forsooke mee at my neede VVho trusteth Loyterers seeld hath lucky speede And whan the Captayne 's Courage doth him fayle His Souldiers hearts a litle thinge may quayle And so Prince Henry chased mee that lo I founde no place wherein I might abyde For as the Dogges pursue the sely Doe The Brache behinde the Houndes on euery side So traste they me amonge the Mountaynes wyde VVhereby I founde I was the heartlesse Hare And not the beast Colprophet did declare And at the last like as the little roche Mâ—st eyther be eat or leap vpon the shore VVhen as the hungery pickerell doth approche And there finde death which it escapt before So double death assaulted mee so sore That eyther I must vnto myne Enmy yeelde Or starue for hunger in the barrayne feelde Here shame and payne a while were at a strife Payne bad mee yeeld shame bad mee rather fast The one badad spare the other bad spend my life But shame shame haue it ouercame at last Than hunger stronge that doth the stonewale brast Forst mee to feede on Barke of trees and Wood And last of all to gâ—aw my flesh and bloud This was mine ende to horrible to beare Yet good enough for him that did so ill VVhereby O Baldwin warne men to forbeare The vayne desires when wâ—â— doth yeld to will Biâ— Princes flye Colprophetes lyinge skill And not presume to climbe aboue their states For they bee faultes that foyle men not their fates FINIS Th. Ph. WHan mayster Phaer had ended the Tragedy of thys hunger staruen Prynce of Wales it was well liked of all the company that a SaxoÌ„ would speake so mutch for a Bâ—ytton then sodenly one found a doubt worth the mouinge and that coÌ„cerning this title Thearle of March for as it appereth there were three men of three diuers nations together in one time entituled by that honour first sir Edmund Mortimer whom OweÌ„ kept in Prison an Englishman the second y Lord George of Dunbar a valiaunt Scot banished out of his countrey well esteemed of Henry the .iiij the third Lord Iames of Bourbon a Frenchman sent by the French king to helpe Owen Glendour These three men had this title all at once which caused him to aske how it was true that euery one of these coulde be Earle of Marche whereto was aunswered that euery countrey hath Marches belonging vnto them those so large that they were Earldomes the Lords thereof intituled thereby so the lord EdmuÌ„d Mortimer was Earle of Marche in England lorde Iames of BurboÌ„ of y Marches of Fraunce and Lord George of Dunbar Earle of the Marches in Scotland For otherwise neyther could haue interest in others title This dout thus dissolued maister Ferrers sayd if no maÌ„ haue affection to the Percies let vs passe the times both of Henry the fourth and the fift and come to Henry the sixt in whose time Fortune as she doth in the mynority of Princes bare a great stroke among the nobles And yet in Henry the fourths time are examples which I would wish Baldwin that you shoulde not forget as the conspiracy made by the Byshop of Yorcke and the Lord Mowbray sonne of him whom you late treated of pricked forward by the Earle of Northumberland father to sir Henry Hotspur who fled himselfe but his partners were apprehended put to death with Baynton and Blinkinsops which could not se their duty to their king but tooke parte wyth Percy that banished Rebell As he was proceedinge hee was desired to stay by one which had pondered the story of the Percies who briefly sayde To the ende Baldwin that you may knowe what to saye of the Percies whose story is not all out of memory and it is an notable story I wyll take vpon me the person of the Lord Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland father of Syr Henry Hotspur in whose behalfe this may be sayde as followeth * ⎠* ⧠HOVV HENRYE Percy Earle of Northumberlande was for his couetous and trayterous attempt put to death at Yorke Anno. 1407. O Moral Senec true finde I thy sayinge That neither kin riches strength or fauour Ace free from Fortune but are aye decayinge No worldly wealth is ought saue doubtful labour Mans life in Earth is like vnto a Tabour Which now to myrth doth mildly men prouoke And straight to Warre with a more sturdy stroke All this full true I Percy finde by proofe Which whilom was Earle of Northumberland And therefore Baldwin for my Piers behoofe To note mens falles sith thou hast tane in hande I would thou should my state well vnderstand For fewe Kinges were more than I redoubted Whom double Fortune lifted vp and louted As for my kinne their noblenesse is knowen My valiaunt actes were folly for to prayse Where through the Scots so oft were ouerthrowen That who but I was doubted in my dayes And that king Richard found at all assayes For neuer Scots rebelled in his raygne But through my force were eyther caught or slaine A Brother I had was Earle of Worcester Alwayes in Office and Fauour with the King And 〈◊〉 my Wâ—fe Daâ—e Elinor Mortimer A Sonne I had which so the Scots did sting That being yonge and but a very spring Henâ—y Hoâ—spur they gaue him unto name And though I say it hee did deserue the same We three triumphied in Kinge Richards tyme Tilâ— Fortune ought both him and vs a spite But chiefely mee whom clearely from any crime My Kinge did banishe from his fauour quite Proclayminge mee a traâ—terous Knight VVhere through false slaunder forced mee to bee That which before I did most deadly flee Let men beware how they true folke defame Or threaten on them the blame of vices nought For Infamy breedeth wrath wreke followeth shame Eke open slaunder oftentimes hath brought That to effect that erst was neuer thought To bee misdeemed men suffer in a sort But noue can beare the griefe of misreporte Because my Kinge did shame mee wrongfully I hated him and so became his foe And while hee did at Warre in Ireland lye I did conspire to turne his Weaie to woe And through the Duke of Yorcke and other moe All Royall power from him wee quickly toke And gaue the same to Henry Bolenbroke Neither did wee this onely for this cause But to say truth force draue vs to the same For hee despisinge God and all his lawes Slewe whom hee woulde made sinne a very game And seeinge neyther age nor counsayle could him tame VVee thought it well done for the Kingdomes sake To leaue his rule that did all rule forsake But when sir Henry had attaynd his place Hee straight became in all poynctes worse than hee Destroyed the Piers and slewe Kinge Richardes grace Against his othe made to the Lordes and mee And seeking Quarels howe to disagree Hee shamelesly required mee and my Sonne To yelde him Scots which wee in Fielde had wonne My Nephew also Edmonde Mortimer The very heyre apparaunt to the Crowne VVhom Owen Glendour helde as prisoner Vilely bound in Dungeon deepe cast downe Hee would not Raunsome but did selly frowne Against my Brother and mee which for him spake And him Proclaymed Traytour for our sake This foule despite did cause vs to conspire To put him downe as wee did Richard erst And that wee might this matter set on fire From Owens Iayle our Coosin wee remeerst And vnto Glendour all our griefes reherst VVho made a bond with Mortimer and mee To priue the Kinge and part the Realme in three But when king Henry heard of this deuise Toward Owen Glendour he sped him very quicke My â—ding by force to stop hur enterpryse And as the deuil would than fel I sicke Howbeit my brother and sonne more pollitike Than prosperous with an host from Scotland brought Encountred him at Shrewesbury where they fought The one was tane and â—yld the other slaine And shortly after was Owen put to flight By meanes whereof I forced was to fayne That I knew nothing of the former fight Fraud oft auayles more than doth sturdy might For by my fayning I brought him in belife I knew not that wherein my part was chiefe And while the kyng thus toke me for his frend I sought all meanes my former wrong to wreake Which that I might bring to the soner end To the bishop of Yorke I did the matter breake And to th' earle Marshall likewise did I speake Whose father was through Henryes cause exiled The bishops brother with trayterous death defiled These strayt assented to do what they could So did the Lord Hastings and Lord FaucoÌ„bridge Which altogether promised they would Set all their power the kinges dayes to abridge But see the spite before the byrdes were flydge The Kinge had word and seasoned on the nest Whereby alas my frendes were all opprest The bloudye Tyraunt brought them all to end Excepted me which into Scotland skapt To George of Dunbar th
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the commons assembled by assent And seing no reason nor treaâ—ye could induce The king in any thing his rigour to relent Maugre his princely mynde they cald a Parliament Francke and free for all men vnchecked to debate Aswell for weale publique as for the Princes state In which high assemblye great thinges were proponed Touching the Princes state his regally and crowne By reason that Richard which much was to be moned Without regard at all of honour or renowne Misled by ill aduise had turnde al vpside downe For sureâ—ie of whose state them thought it did behooue His counsailours corrupt by order to remoue Among whom Robert Veer called Duke of Ireland With Mighel Delapoole of Suffolke new made Earle Tharchbyshop of Yorke was also of our hand With Brembre of London a ful vncurteous churle Some learned in the law in exile they did hurle But I iudge Tresilian because I was the chiefe Was damâ—ned to the Gallowes to dye there as a thiefe Lo the fyne of falshoode the stipend of corruption The â—ickle fâ—e of fraud the fruites it doth procure Ye iudges now liuing let out iust punition Teach you to shake of brybes and kepe your hâ—ndes al pure Riches and promocion be vayne thinges and vnsure The fauour of a Prince is an vntrustie staye But Iustice hath a fee that shal remayne alwaye What gloryis more greater in sight of God or man. Then by pathes of Iustice in Iudgement to procede So duelye and truely the lawes alway to skan That Iustice may take place without reward or meede Set apart all flattery and vayne worldly dreede Set God before your eyes the righteous Iudge supreme Remember wel your reckening at the day extreame Abandon all affray be soothfast in your sawes Be constant and carelesse of mortall mens displeasure With eyes shut hands closde you should pronouÌ„ce the lawes Way not this worldly mucke thincke there is a treasure More worth then Gold or stone a thousand times in valure Reposed for all such as righteousnes ensue Wherof you cannot fayle the promise made is true If Iudges in our dayes would ponder wel in mynde The fatall fall of vs for wresting lawe and right Such statutes as touch lyfe should not be thus definde By sences constrained against true meaning quite Aswel they might affirme the blacke for to be whyte Wherfore we wish they would our act and end compare And waying wel the case they wyl we trust beware Finis G. F. WHen finished was this Tragedy which semed not vnfyt for the persons touched in y same Another which in the meane tyme had stayde vppon syr Roger Mortimer Earle of March and heyre apparaunt of Englande whose miserable end as it should appeare was somwhat before the others sayd as foloweth Although it be not greatlye appertinent to our purposed matter yet in my iudgement I thincke it would do wel to obserue the tymes of these great infortunes and as they be more auncient in tyme so to place their seuerall plaintes For I fynde that before these of whoÌ„ maister Ferrers here hath spoken there were two earles of the name of Mortimer the one in the tyme of king Edward the third out of our date another in Richard the secondes time slayne in Ireland a yeare before the fal of these Iustices whose hystorie syth it is notable and thexample fruitful it were not good to ouerpasse And therfore by your lycence and fauours I wyl take vpon me the personage of the earle Mortimer called Roger who full of bloudye woundes mangled with a pale countenaunce and grieslye looke may make his moane to Baldwin in this wise HOVV THE TWO ROGERS surnamed Mortimers for their sundrye Vyces ended theire lyues vnfortunatelye the one Anno. 1329. the other Anno. 1387. AMong the ryders on the rolling wheele Which lost their holdes Baldwyn forget not mee Whose fatall thred vntimelye death dyd reele Ere it were twisted by the Sisters threee All folke be â—rayle theyr blisses brittle bee For proofe whereof although none other were Suffice may I Sir Roger Mortimer Not he that was in Edwardes dayes the third Whom Fortune brought from boote to extreme bale With loue of whom the Queene so much was stird As for his sake from honour she did scale And whilest Fortune blew on this pleasaunt gale Heauing him high on her triumphall Arch By meane of her hee was made Earle of March. Whence pryde out sprang as doth appeare by manye Whom soden hap aduaunceth in excesse Among thousandes scarse shal you fynde anye Which in high wealth that humor can suppresse As in this earle playne proofe did wel expresse For whereas hee too loftye was before His new degree hath made him now much more For now alone he ruleth as him lust Respecting none saue only the Queene mother Which moued malice to foulder out the rust Which deepe in hate before did lye and smother The Peeres the People aswel the one as other Against him made so haynous a complaint That for a traytour they did the Earle attaynt Than al such crimes as hidden lay before They skower a fresh and somwhat to them adde For hydden hate hath eloquence in store Whan Fortune biddes small faultes to make more bad Fyue haynous crymes against him soone were had Causing the king to yeld vnto the Scot Townes that this father but late afore had got And therewithall the Charter called Ragman Yeuen to the Scots for brybes and priuie gayne That by his meanes sir Edward of Carnaruan In Berckley Castel most cruelly was slayne That with his princes mother he had layne And last of all by pyllage at his pleasure Had spoyld the kyng and commons of their treasure For these thinges lo which erst were out of mynde Dampned he was and honged at the last In whom dame Fortune fully shewed her kynde For whome she heaues she hurleth downe as fast It men to come would learne by other past My coosius fall might cause them set asyde High clymim brybing adultery and pryde The fynal cause why I this processe tell Is that I may be knowen from this other My like in name vnlike me though he fel. Which was I wene my graund sire or his brother To count my kin Dame Philip was my mother Eldest daughter and heire of Lyonell Of King Edward the third the second sequele My Father hight sir Edmund Mortimer Cald Earle of March whence I was after Earle By true discent these two my parentes were Of whih the one of knighthood bare ferl Of Ladies all the other was the pearle After whose Death I onely stoode in plight To be next heyre vnto the crowne by right Touching the case of my cousin Roger Whose ruful end euen now I did relate Was found in tyme an vndue atteindre Against the law by those that bare him hate For where by lawe ech man of free estate Should be heard speake before his iudgement passe That common grace to him denyed was Wherfore by doome in Court of Parliament
His atteindre appering erroneous The King the Lordes and Cammons of assent His lawlesse death vnlawful did discusse And both to bloud and good restored vs A president worthy in record left Lordes lygnes to saue by lawles meanes bereft Whyle Fortune thus did frendly me reteyne Rychard the king that second was by name Hauing none heire after him to reigne Made me his mate in earnest and in game The Lordes themselues so wel allowd the same That through my titles â—ulye comming downe I was made heire apparaunt to the crowne Who then but I was euery where esteemed Wel was the man that vnderstoode my â—ert Whom I allowed as Lordes the People deemed And me to serue was euery mannes entent With all that wyt or cunning could inuent To me as prince attended great and small In hope a day would come to pay for all But seeldome ioye continueth trouble voyde In greatest charge cares greatest do ensue The most possest are euer most anoyed In largest seas sorâ— tempestes lightly brue The freshest colours soonest chaunge their hue In thickest place is made the diepest wounde True proofe whereof my selfe to soone haue found For whiles Fortune so luld me in her lap And gaue me giftes more than I did require The double Dame behynde me set a trap To dash me downe and laye all in the myre The Irish Kernes agaynst mee did conspyre My Landes of Vlster vniustly to bereaue Which my mother for heritage did me leaue And whyles I there to set all thinges in staye Omit my toyles and troubles thytherwarde Among mine owne with my retinue laye The wylder sort whom I did least regard And therfore the rechlesse mannes reward When least I thought set on me in such number That fro my corps the lyfe they set asunder Nought might auayle my courage nor my force Nor helpe of frendes which were alas to few The cruel folke assaulted so my horse That all my helpes in pieces they to hew Our bloud distaind the ground as drops of dewe Nought might preuayle to flye or yet to yelde For whom they take they murther in che fielde No law of Armes they know nor none wil learne They make not warre as other do a play The Lord the Boy the Gallowglasse the Kerne Yeeld or not yelde whom so they take they slaye They saue no prisoners for raunsome nor for paye Their booty chiefe they coumpt a deadmans heade Their end of warre 's to see their enemie dead Amongest these men or rather sauage beasts I lost my lyfe by cruel murther slayne And therfore Baldwin note thou well my gestes And warne all princes rashnes to refrayne Bid them beware their enemies when they fayne Nor yet presume to make their match amisse Had I not so done I had not come to this At naught I set a sort of naked men And much the lesse seeming to flye away One man me thought was good ynough for ten Making small account of number more or lesse Madnesse it is in warre to goo by gesse At vnwares assaulted by our fone Which were in number fourtie to vs one See here the slay of pompe and highe estate The feeble hold of this vncerteyn lyfe For I but young proclaymed Prince but late Hauing fayre fruict by my belooued wyfe Lost all at once by stroake of bloudy knife Whereby assurde let men themselues assure That wealth and lyfe are doubtful to endure FINIS T. Ch. AFter this Tragedye ended Maysâ—er Ferrers sayde seeinge it is beste to place eche person in his order Baldwin take you the Chronicles marke them as they come for there are many worthye to bee noted thoughe not treated of First the Lorde Murrey a Scottish man who tooke his deathes wound through a stroake lent him by the Earle of Notingham whom he chalenged at the Tylt But to omit him and also the fatte Pryor of Typtre pressed to death with thronge of People vppon London Bridge at the Queenes entrye I wyll come to the Duke of Glocester the kinges vncle a man mynding the common wealth and yet at length miserably made away in whose person if ye wil geeue eare ye shal heare what I thinke meete to be sayd HOVVE SIR THOMAS of VVoodstocke Duke of Glocestre Vncle to King Rychard the second was vnlawfully murdered Anno. 1397. WHo stablisht is in State seeming most sure And so far from daunger of Fortunnes blast As by the compasâ—â— oâ— mannes coniecture No brasen pylter may be fyxt more fast Yet wanting the stay of prudent forecast Whan froward Fortune list for to frowne May in a moment turne vpside downe In proofe whereof O Baldwin take payne Turne thine care to Thomas of Woodstocke Prest in presence on Fortune to complaine In the forlorne hope of English flocke Who by discent was of the royall stocke Sonne to king Edward third of that name And second to none in glorye and fame This noble father to maynteyn my state With Buckingham Earledome did me iâ—dowe Both Nature and Fortune to me were grate Denying mee nothing which they might allow Their sundrye graces in me did so flowe As beautye strength high fauour and fame Who may of God more wish then the same Brothers we were to the number of seuen I beeing the sixt and youngest but one A more royall race was not vnder heauen More stoâ—t or more stately of stomacke person Princes al peerelesse in ech condition Namelye syr Edward called the blacke Prince When had England the like before or euer since But what of all this any man to assure In state vncarefull of Fortunes variaunce Syth daylye and hourelye wee see it in vre That where most cause is of affiaunce Euen there is found most weake assuraunce Let none trust Fortune but folow reason For often wee see in trust is treason This prouerbe in proofe ouer true I tryed Fynding high treason in place of high trust And most false fayth where I most affyed Beinge by them that should haue bene iust Trayterouslye entrapt ere I could mistrust Ah wretched world what is it to trust thee Let them that wil learne now harken to mee After king Edward the thirdes decease Succeeded my Nephewe Richard to raigne Who for his glory and honours encrease Wich princely wages did me entertaine Against the Frenchmen to be his Chieftayne So passing the Seas with royall puissaunce With God and S. George I inuaded Fraunce Wastinge the country with sword and with fyre Ouer turning townes high Castles and towers Like Mars God of warre enflamed with ire I forced the Frenchmen t' abandon their bowers Where euer we matcht I wan at all howers In such wise visiting both Cittie ad village That alway my souldiers were laden with pyllage With honour and tryumph was my returne Was none more ioyous than young king Richard Who minding more highlye my state to adourne With Glocestre Dukedome did me reward And after in mariage I was prefarde To a daughter of Bohun an Earle honourable By whom I was of England
and shame abash me to reherce My lothsome lyfe and death of due deserued Yet that the paynes thereof may other pearce To leaue the like least they be likewise serued Ah Baldwin marke aud see how that I swerued Dissemblinge enuy and Flattery bane that bee Of al their Hosts haue shewed their power on mee A blame not fortune though she did her part And true it is she can do little harme She guideth goods she hampreth not the hart A minde well â—ent is safe from euery charme Vice onely vice with her stout strengthlesse arme Doth cause the heart from good to ill encline Whych I alas do finde to true by myne For where by birth I came of noble race The Mowbreys heyre a famouse house and olde Fortune I thanke gaue me so good a grace That of my Prince I had what so I wolde Yet neyther was to other greatly holde For I through flattery abusd his wanton youth And his fond trust augmented my vntruth Hee made mee first the Earle of Notingham And Marshall of England in which estate The Pieres and people ioyntly to mee came With sore complaint against them that of late Made officers had brought the kinge in hate By makinge sale of Iustice right and Lawe And liuinge naught without all dreade or awe I gaue them ayde these euils to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caused the king against his will oppresse By cruell death all such as led him wrong The Lord chiefe Iustice suffered these among So did the Steward of his houshold head The Chauncellor scapt for he aforehand fled These wicked men thus from the king remoued Who best vs pleased succeeded in their place For which both Kinge and Commons mutch vs loued But chiefly I with all stoode high in grace The Kinge ensued my rede in euery case Whence selfe loue bred for glory maketh proude And pryde ay looketh alone to bee allowde Wherefore to th' ende I might alone enioy The Kinges fauour I made his lust my lawe And where of late I laboured to destroy Sutch flatteringe folke as thereto stode in awe Now learned I amonge the rest to clawe For pride is sutch if it be kindly caught As stroyeth good and stirreth vp euery naught Pryde prouoketh to flatter for the pray To poll and oppresse for maintenaunce of the same To malice such as match vnethes it may And to be briefe pride doth the hart enflame To fyre what mischiefe any fraud may frame And euer at length the euils by it wrought Confound the worker and bring him vnto nought Behold in me due proofe of euery part For pryde prickt me first my prince to flatter So much that who so euer pleased his hart Were it neuer so euil I thought it a lawfll matter Which caused the Lordes afresh against him clatter Because of Holdes beyond the sea that â—e solde And seene his souldiers of their wages polde Though all these ills were done by myne assent Yet such was lucke that ech man deemed no For see the Duke of Glocestre for me sent With other Lordes whose hartes did bleede for woe To see the Realme so fast to ruine goe In fault whereof they sayd the two Dukes were The one of Yorke the other of Lancaster On whose remoue from place about the king We all agreed and sware a solemâ—ne oth And whilst the rest prouided for this thing I flatterer I to wyn the prayse of troth Wretch that I was brake fayth and promise both For I bewrayed the King their whole intent For which vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the Common weale The Duke of Glocester giltlesse made away With other moe more wretch I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust did ill betraye Yet by this meanes obteyned I my praye Of king and Dukes I found for this such fauour As made me Duke of Northfolke for my labour But see how pryde and enuye ioyntly runne Because my Prince did more then me preferre Syr Henry Bolenbroke the Eldest sonne Of Iohn of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster Proude I that would alone be blazing sterre Enuied this Duke for nought saue that the shyne Of his desertes did glister more then mine To thend therfore his light should be the lesse I slylye sought al shiftes to put it out But as the poyze that would the palmetree presse Doth cause the bowes sprede larger round about So spite and enuye causeth glory sproute And aye the more the toppe is ouer trode The deeper doth the sound roote spreade abrode For when this Henrye Duke of Hereford sawe What spoyâ—e the King made of the noble blood And that without al Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him so be thought not sure nor good Wherefore to me twofaced in one hood As touching this he fully brake his mynde As to his frend that should remedye fynde But I although I knewe my Prince did ill So that my heart abhorred sore the same Yet mischiefe so through malice led my will To bringe this Duke from honour vnto shame And toward my selfe my Soueraygne to enflame That I bewrayeâ— his Words vnto the King Not as a reade but as a most haynous thing Thus where my duty bounde me to haue tolde My Prince his fault and wild him to refrayne Through flattery loe I did his ill vpholde VVhich turnd at length both him and mee to payne VVo wo to Kinges whose counsaylours do fayne VVo wo to Realmes where sutch are put in trust As leaue the lawe to serue the Princes lust And wo to him that by his flatteringe rede Maynteyns a Prince in any kinde of vice VVo worth him eke for enuy pryde or mede That misreportes any honest enterprise Because I beast in all these poynctes was nice The plagues of all together on me light And due for ill All doers doth acquite For when the Duke was charged with my plaint Hee flat denied that any part was true And claymde by Armes to aunswere his attaint And I by vse that Warly feates well knewe To his desire incontinently drewe VVherewith the Kinge did seeme right well content As one that past not mutch with whom it went. At time and place appoyncted wee appeard At all poynctes Armed to proue our Quarelles Iust And whan our Freendes on ech part had vs cheard And that the Harolds had vs do our lust With speare in rest we toke a course to iust But ere our horses had runne halfe theyr way A shoute was made the Kâ—ng commaunded staye And for to auoyde the sheddinge of our bloud VVith shame and death which one must needes haue had The Kinge through counsayle of the Lordes thought good To banishe both wich iudgement strait was rad No maruayle than though both were wroth and sad But chiefly I that was Exild for aye My Enmy straungd but for ten yeares daye The date expird whan by this doubtfull dome I should depart to liue in banisht hand On payne of death to